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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

Newbie Pen Question

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Newbie Pen Question

#1

Newbie Pen Question

eric

>I just turned my first pens and am hooked. Ordered the introductory kit from Berea and was very happy. Then being impatient and wanting to try something new, I visited the local Rockler store and purchased some round top kits and the associated bushings.

My question is are the bushings for the pen types specific to the kit manufacturer or are they interchangeable?

Can the Rockler round-top pen bushings be used with a Berea round-top pen kit?

Does someone have a table that cross-references the bushings to kits from the various manufacturers?

Thanks,

Eric

Re: Newbie Pen Question

#2

Re: Newbie Pen Question

Greg W. in NC

>Eric,

It really depends. There are really only three pen manufacturers in the US, Berea, Craft Supplies, and Penn State. Rockler buys their kits (most likely) from one of these. So, if they buy their kits from Berea, there is no problem.

Some of the bushings from one penn seller may still work with kits from another manufacturer, though. The easiest way to tell is simply use a micrometer / dial calipers and measure the fittings and the bushings. If they are the same, then that bushing will work on that blank. Be sure and measure all the bushings for a kit, and not just one.

Also aware that not all mandrels are the same, either. Berea's mandrel is slightly larger than CSU's, which is slightly larger than Penn State's (generally.)

I am not aware of any tables like you mentioned. If you do start mixing kits from other suppliers, stay organized as to the bushings / kits, and I suggest making sure they are all individually marked with the supplier's name. Good luck, and welcome to the addiction!

Re: Newbie Pen Question

#3

Mandrel diameters

Fred in NC

>Posted - Dec 28 2004 : 10:32:48 AM US Eastern Time

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I posted this info once before; but it may have been on another board.

Per their catalogs:

Berea 7mm mandrel.....0.247" +0-0.002"

Craft-USA.............0.246" "..accurate to 0.003".." Don't know if that means �0.003" or �0.0015".

PSI...................0.243"

I don't have specs for Rockler mandrels.

Re: Newbie Pen Question

#4

Re: Newbie Pen Question

Tony - Memphis

>Good suggestion...label them as you get them and keep them in their own baggie or something. I bought several when I started and I have a couple that I'm not sure what they are! I use one of those plastic bin box things from the hardware store. I write the details on the back of an old business card and put it in the bottom of the bin. Enjoy your new hobby! I turn pens as a quick to finish project while working on other stuff, or just to have a nice hunk of wood to look at while at my day job. Just did a curly mahogany pen. Neat looking wood. I had never seen mahogany with curl like this before. I do like the larger mandrels. Something is going on with mine right now....seems that my spacer things are off center a bit for some reason.

Tony

Tony

Re: Newbie Pen Question

#5

Re: Newbie Pen Question

Fred in NC

>Tony, if your barrels are turning off-center, it is usually for one of two reasons:

1. The mandrel shaft is bent.

2. The barrel ends are not square to the TUBE.

This forces a bow in the mandrel shaft. Sanding with a miter gauge does no good if the tube is not absolutely straight in the blank.

Mount the mandrel in the lathe, with no spacers, blanks or nut. Bring the tailstock very close to the end of the mandrel (maybe 1/16" away). Rotate the spindle by hand. You should be able to see if the mandrel is bent.

By the way, my reference to "mandrel shaft" is redundant. A mandrel is a shaft. However, since the mandrels we buy usually have a Morse taper, we commonly refer to the whole assembly as a mandrel.